Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE WEATHER EVALUATION AND THE ON GROUND ENCOUNTER WITH GUSTY WINDS.
Aircraft Information
Analysis
On November 28, 1994, at 1333 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172N, N104CT, owned and piloted by Harold Hawly, was substantially damaged while taxiing at the Niagara Falls Airport, Niagara Falls, New York. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot was taxiing the airplane to runway 24, and had turned onto a taxiway that was perpendicular to the runway. The airplane encountered a gust wind, and flipped over. At the time of the accident the winds were reported to be 025 degrees at 25 knots, with gusts to 48 knots.
According to the pilot's statement on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, he was holding at the side of runway 24, when the wind gusts started to intensify. The pilot wrote that he was getting ready to notify the tower he wanted to return, and park when the, "...wind move[d] [the] airplane side ways then cartwheeled it on [the] right wing flipping it over...."
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC95LA034